


broken things

by Areiton



Series: in the cold, we find warmth [7]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Coffee, Domestic Fluff, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, M/M, Morning After, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Shovel Talk, Tony Stark Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 23:34:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20236225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areiton/pseuds/Areiton
Summary: He leaves Tony in bed, still sleeping.





	broken things

He leaves Tony in bed, still sleeping. 

The sun hasn’t risen yet, and there is a lingering chill in the air that will burn away as the day deepens, but for now, he shivers from the loss of Tony’s warmth and pads, barefoot and rumpled, to the kitchen. 

James Rhodes is there, drinking a glass of orange juice and reading on a tablet, and waiting. 

Jamie isn’t stupid, he’s been doing this for longer than Rhodes has been alive, and he knows an ambush when he sees one. For a heartbeat, he hesitates, poised on the edge of running. 

Running, he’s found, is easy. 

He’s _ good _ at running, good at going to ground and hiding, and there’s a freedom in it, in the anonymity of it. 

But Rhodes is watching him, eyes dark and intent and Tony is sleeping in a bed that still holds the heat from Jamie’s body, and he is _ tired. _

He steps into the kitchen. 

Something flickers in Rhodes eyes, something like approval and respect and it makes warmth unfurl in his belly.

"There's orange juice. And eggs, if you're hungry," Rhodes says and Jamie busies himself with a glass while Rhodes watches him.

"There was this guy," he says, apropos nothing, when we were in college. Mess of a dude. Drugs, drinking, the works. He spent months on Stone. Tutoring and when that didn't work, just doing the asshole's course work. Tried to get him clean and sober--never worked. But he _ tried _, so hard, I thought the failing would kill him." Old grief and anger flicker in Rhodes eyes and he shakes himself. "It didn't. Obviously. But it took rehab and a restraining order to get Tony back because he didn't fix Stone--Stone broke him." 

Jamie makes a noise, small and hurt and Rhodes eyes find him, see him and not the drugs and drinking and Tony, young and falling apart. 

"Tony fixes things. It's who he is, always has been. But broken things can cut up the person handling them, leave them broken and damaged."

"That's not what I want," he says, hoarse and Rhodes nods. 

"You wouldn't be here if I thought it was. But he's my best friend."

That tugs at a memory that doesn't feel real, doesn't feel like his--protecting someone small and precious--and he frowns, shakes his head. 

"Don't hurt him," Rhodes says, and he sounds almost desperate, begging. 

"I wouldn't," Jamie says. "Not ever." 

It doesn't feel like enough. But from the relieved slump of Rhodes shoulders--he thinks maybe it is. 

"Take him coffee," Rhodes says, pushing a button to set the machine to working. Then he claps Jamie on the shoulder and leaves the kitchen. 

He stands there for a long time, until the machine beeps to tell him it’s ready, and he reaches for a mug, pouring the coffee, still in thought. 

He pauses, watching Rhodes lacing his boots. “Stone. What happened to him?” 

Rhodes flicks a look up at him, blank and dangerous and he can feel something cold and predatory stir in answer. He remembers, suddenly, that this man who has opened his home to them, who calls Tony brother and gets giggly over pizza and beer and a lack of sleep is the same man the United States Department of Defense calls _ attack dog. _ The same man who is called _ War Machine _, who puts on armor so similar to Tony’s and stands at his shoulder. 

He remembers, abruptly, that James Rhodes is _ dangerous. _

“Couldn’t say,” Rhodes says, softly, and a smile, small and satisfied crosses Jamie’s lips. 

He nods and turns away. “We’ll see you this evening, Colonel.” 

“Rhodey,” he says, and Jamie pauses. “My friends call me Rhodey.” 

~*~ 

Tony is sleeping, but there’s a pout of dissatisfaction on his pretty face, and Jamie wants to kiss it away. 

He puts that though aside and crawls into the bed, pulls Tony into his arms and sighs, soft and pleased. 

“You went ‘way.” Tony mumbles, half asleep against his chest. 

“Not far,” Jamie promises. “Just to get you coffee.” 

He stirs against Jamie’s chest, and blinks at him, all sleep soft and warm and Jamie understands. Why Rhodey is so protective, why he would threaten, however subtle, the Winter Soldier. 

He looks at Tony and thinks he would do the same. 

He looks at Tony and thinks he would kill to keep that small pleased smile on his lips. 

It doesn’t scare him nearly as much as it should. 


End file.
